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Norhan Basuni: Speaking for Islam

Norhan Basuni divides her life into the time before September 11, and the time after. For her, it is the day that she, an ordinary 7th grader, became a symbol of Islam — of "them" — and to some, of terrorism.

In the wake of the attacks, she remembers her father telling her she could no longer wear hijab because he feared for her safety after family friends were attacked in the street.

In the WNYC special Living 9/11, she tells how someone ripped off her own hijab at a bus stop. You can hear how she has tried to help Americans understand Islam better in the story she produced as part of the Radio Rookies program here.

What do you want to remember from 9/11 and what do you want to forget?

I want to never forget the solidarity that held this country during the aftermath of 9/11. What I would like to forget is the isolation that the Muslims endured during 9/11 and the feeling of being a stranger in our home, America.

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